During the meeting, the President of Latvia listened to the Minister's proposals for mitigating weather-related risks in the agricultural sector. "It is important for farmers to insure against the potential risks posed by a range of natural disasters to protect their crops and income against unforeseen losses. The overall expansion of insured agricultural land in comparison to last year is a positive development, however, it is essential to accelerate this trend through state support for partial reimbursement of insurance policy costs. At the same time, the state authorities must ensure that the established support mechanisms are adequate and sufficient to meet current needs. Negotiations with insurance providers should be continued to enable farmers to insure against a greater spectrum of risks on reasonable terms," President Rinkēvičs said.
E. Rinkēvičs welcomed the government's initiative to find solutions for raising the share of locally produced food products in the retail sector and the proposal to indicate the country of origin on products in all grocery stores from 1 September.
The President of Latvia emphasised the importance of Latvia's engagement in the forthcoming negotiations with the European Commission on the EU multiannual budget for 2028-2034 to ensure that the national interests are accounted for. Considering the typically sensitive nature of negotiations, particularly with regard to the financing of the agricultural sector, the President of Latvia called on the Ministry of Agriculture to take on a proactive role in defending Latvia's interests in collaboration with other ministries.
